This application relates to a unique system for determining the weight of a vehicle by using accelerometers to measure the accelerations of the vehicle axles as the vehicle is moving.
Vehicles usually have maximum weight ratings which represent how much weight the vehicle can carry. Thus, it is important to know the weight of a vehicle during its operation. Overloading a vehicle can cause premature component wear resulting in high maintenance costs.
Often it is difficult to tell how much weight has been loaded onto a vehicle. Vehicles carry various types of cargo or payload in varying amounts. During a single day, a vehicle may transfer any of these different types of loads to various locations where a new load may be picked up and the original load removed. This loading and unloading of cargo can take place several times a day. Thus, it is important for a vehicle operator to know the vehicle weight at all times during the operation of the vehicle.
The most common method used for monitoring the weight of a vehicle is a scale. Typically, scales are located at the various sites where the vehicles are loaded or unloaded. The vehicle is driven onto the scale and the weight of the vehicle is measured while the vehicle is stationary. There are several drawbacks with this method. First, the scales are expensive and require continual maintenance to ensure proper calibration. Second, use of scales can be time consuming as there is usually only one scale per location with many vehicles waiting to be weighed. Finally, scales are not available at every location where a vehicle may be picking up a load, possibly due to the remoteness of the location or because the location is temporary. Thus, when the vehicle is loaded at such a location, an operator may not know exactly what the vehicle weight is and risks overloading the vehicle.
Another method to monitor the payload of a vehicle uses a force sensor, such as a load cell or pressure transducer. This method is expensive because it requires the vehicle to be retrofitted to include pressure sensing airbags and load cells throughout the vehicle to measure pressure and determine weight under certain known or fixed height conditions.
Thus, it is desirable to have an inexpensive system for determining the weight of a vehicle that continually monitors the vehicle weight and which is easily installed, maintained.